Summer Slate Starts Schick’s Senior Season
Aug 15, 2018 | Men's Tennis
NEW ORLEANS – Following a breakthrough junior campaign in 2017-18, Tyler Schick has spent the summer months leading into his final year as a Tulane men's tennis student-athlete doing all the things a senior can to become a leader on the team.
Replacing a two-time All-American and team captain like Constantin Schmitz is not a reasonable expectation for Schick or any rising senior across the college sports landscape, but he's doing many of the small things that will help the Green Wave continue its ascent on the national stage.
Since Schick's freshman year in 2015-16, Tulane has reached the NCAA Tournament each season and achieved new highs in the final ITA rankings by finishing 41st in 2016, 30th in 2017 and 28th in 2018.
"Ever since I got to Tulane, I've always played with great leaders, captains and role models," Schick said. "We've had guys who weren't captains that I looked up to. I want to be a role model for our newcomers who may not know right away how we do things here. As summer comes to an end, I'm focused on doing what I can to help the team the most."
Camaraderie is crucial in any team setting, and it's a big part of the Green Wave's rise. Unknowingly, Schick checked off that box in June by doing something he's never done.
Erlenbusch (left) and Schick enjoy a meal
"I had never been to Europe, so it was a great opportunity to do some sightseeing, play tennis and observe the European lifestyle," Schick said. "I spent half my trip with Luis (Erlenbusch) and the other half with Tim (Ruetzel), so I got to see a little bit of everything from city life to smaller towns. It was a blast and I've love to do it again."
Schick's trip to Germany started with a visit to Erlenbusch in his hometown of Bruchsal where they trained each day at his local club. Erlenbusch and Schick began the second half of the trip with a 200-mile drive to Munich – Ruetzel's hometown. The trio practiced together and showed explored the big city during down time, before Schick flew back to the U.S.
"It was awesome," Schick said. "I think I'll go to London next summer and visit one of my former teammates Sebastian (Rey)."
The journey through Germany covered the early portion of Schick's offseason, before he returned home to New Jersey where he has enjoyed the remainder of the summer. His preparation has not stalled, however, as he's taken advantage of additional opportunities to improve his game and prior to his return to New Orleans.
While playing in several prize tournaments, Schick's path collided professional player Noah Rubin's, and he took full advantage of the opportunity to practice with him. Rubin is a noteworthy player for any college athlete to have a chance to train with and speak to during the summer months. He played one decorated season of college tennis at Wake Forest in 2015 before turning pro. Since then, he has worked his way to an ATP World Tour ranking of 139 and ousted the world's No. 9 player, John Isner, in the second round of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., on August 2.
"We talked about playing after college and how tough the Tour can be," Schick said. "I learned a lot from his experiences."
Schick with Rubin
For Schick, it's been an "offseason" full of hard work and learning experiences he hopes pays dividends by the time his final year at Tulane comes to an end. One thing is for sure, fortune has been on his side, as he has already taken a handful of the right steps toward making his goals realities during the summer months. Now it's time to apply his lessons to his game and the Green Wave's efforts in 2018-19.
"I'm excited to get back to campus with the guys and make this the best season yet. Hopefully, this is the year we make a run in the NCAA Tournament, finish top 20 or even top 10. I'm focused on being physically and mentally prepared to have a successful senior year and be a part of Tulane's best season yet."
Replacing a two-time All-American and team captain like Constantin Schmitz is not a reasonable expectation for Schick or any rising senior across the college sports landscape, but he's doing many of the small things that will help the Green Wave continue its ascent on the national stage.
Since Schick's freshman year in 2015-16, Tulane has reached the NCAA Tournament each season and achieved new highs in the final ITA rankings by finishing 41st in 2016, 30th in 2017 and 28th in 2018.
"Ever since I got to Tulane, I've always played with great leaders, captains and role models," Schick said. "We've had guys who weren't captains that I looked up to. I want to be a role model for our newcomers who may not know right away how we do things here. As summer comes to an end, I'm focused on doing what I can to help the team the most."
Camaraderie is crucial in any team setting, and it's a big part of the Green Wave's rise. Unknowingly, Schick checked off that box in June by doing something he's never done.
Erlenbusch (left) and Schick enjoy a meal
"I had never been to Europe, so it was a great opportunity to do some sightseeing, play tennis and observe the European lifestyle," Schick said. "I spent half my trip with Luis (Erlenbusch) and the other half with Tim (Ruetzel), so I got to see a little bit of everything from city life to smaller towns. It was a blast and I've love to do it again."
Schick's trip to Germany started with a visit to Erlenbusch in his hometown of Bruchsal where they trained each day at his local club. Erlenbusch and Schick began the second half of the trip with a 200-mile drive to Munich – Ruetzel's hometown. The trio practiced together and showed explored the big city during down time, before Schick flew back to the U.S.
"It was awesome," Schick said. "I think I'll go to London next summer and visit one of my former teammates Sebastian (Rey)."
The journey through Germany covered the early portion of Schick's offseason, before he returned home to New Jersey where he has enjoyed the remainder of the summer. His preparation has not stalled, however, as he's taken advantage of additional opportunities to improve his game and prior to his return to New Orleans.
While playing in several prize tournaments, Schick's path collided professional player Noah Rubin's, and he took full advantage of the opportunity to practice with him. Rubin is a noteworthy player for any college athlete to have a chance to train with and speak to during the summer months. He played one decorated season of college tennis at Wake Forest in 2015 before turning pro. Since then, he has worked his way to an ATP World Tour ranking of 139 and ousted the world's No. 9 player, John Isner, in the second round of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., on August 2.
"We talked about playing after college and how tough the Tour can be," Schick said. "I learned a lot from his experiences."
Schick with Rubin
For Schick, it's been an "offseason" full of hard work and learning experiences he hopes pays dividends by the time his final year at Tulane comes to an end. One thing is for sure, fortune has been on his side, as he has already taken a handful of the right steps toward making his goals realities during the summer months. Now it's time to apply his lessons to his game and the Green Wave's efforts in 2018-19.
"I'm excited to get back to campus with the guys and make this the best season yet. Hopefully, this is the year we make a run in the NCAA Tournament, finish top 20 or even top 10. I'm focused on being physically and mentally prepared to have a successful senior year and be a part of Tulane's best season yet."
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